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Quick Facts
United States Census Bureau developed "Facts
for Features" providing a quick overview of Latino
population characteristics based on data from the Survey of
Minority-Owned Business Enterprises and Census 2000. For example,
according to the web page, the number "58" is the
percentage increase in the nation's Hispanic population between
the 1990 and 2000 censuses.
The nation's Latino population
was enumerated in Census 2000 at 35.3 million, or 12.5 percent
of the nation's total population (excluding the 3.8 million Latino
residents of Puerto Rico). This represented a 13 million numeric
increase in the population. Latinos accounted for 40 percent
of the increase in the nation's total population during this
period. Click here for "Overview
of Race and Hispanic Origin 2000."
- The
Latino Family - 4.8 million, or 64 percent, of Latino
families have children under 18. About 5 million, or 67 percent,
of Latino families consisted of married couples; and 3.3
million, or 45 percent, consisted of "traditional families," i.e.,
a married couple with their own children under 18.
- Age -
The median age of the Latino population in 2000 was 25.8, meaning
one-half were above it and one-half below. Among Latino groups,
median ages ranged from 24.3 years for those of Mexican origin
to 40.1 years for people of Cuban descent. The median age for
the total U.S. population was 35.3 years.
- States
and Places - California was home to 11.0 million Latinos
and Texas to 6.7 million. About 3-in-4 Latinos lived in seven
states with 1 million or more each: California, Texas, New
York, Florida, Illinois, Arizona and New Jersey. New York
City's total Latino population in 2000 was 2.2 million, the
largest of any city in the nation.
The 28 million Spanish-speakers
in the US constitute a ratio of more than 1-in-10 residents.
Among all those who spoke Spanish, slightly more than half also
reported speaking fluent English. The 1990 census counted 17
million Spanish speakers. Click here for "U.S.
Census Bureau American FactFinder."
- Coming
from the Americas: A Profile of the Nation's Foreign-Born
Population from Latin America (2000 update) - According
to Census 2000, 16.1 million, or slightly more than half,
of the nation's 31.1 million foreign-born residents were
born in Latin America. The size of the foreign-born population
from Latin America has grown rapidly since the 1990 census
when it totaled 8.4 million. According to the March 2000
Current Population Survey, more than one-quarter of the foreign-born
population was from Mexico, which had the largest share of
any country. Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador
also ranked among the 10 leading countries of foreign birth
in the United States. Within this group of foreign-born residents,
the median length of residence was highest for those from
the Caribbean (17.6 years), reflecting the relatively large
number of immigrants from Cuba in the 1960s and 1970s. The
median lengths of residence of the population from Central
America (about four-fifths of whom are from Mexico) and South
America, 12.9 years and 13.0 years, respectively, were not
statistically different from each other.
The real median income of Latino
households in 2000 was $33,455, the highest ever recorded. A
total of 7.2 million Latinos, or 21.2%, were poor in 2000, not
statistically different from 1999. Among Latino groups, Mexicans
had the lowest proportion of full-time, year-round workers with
annual earnings of $35,000 or more (21 percent). Overall, Latinos
were less likely than non-Latino Whites to have earnings of $35,000
or more (23 percent compared with 49 percent). Click here for "Diversity
of the Country's Hispanics Highlighted in U.S. Census Bureau
Report."
- Education -
Hispanic students currently make up 15% of the elementary school-age
population and will comprise nearly 25% of the total school-age
population by the year 2025. Over the past 20 years, the enrollment
of Hispanics in public elementary schools has increased over
150%, compared to 20% for African American students and 10%
for White students (U.S. Department of Education, 2000).
- Jobs -
Latinos were more likely than non-Latino Whites to work in
service occupations (19 percent versus 12 percent) and almost
twice as likely to be employed as operators and laborers (22
percent versus 12 percent). Conversely, 14 percent of Latinos
were in managerial or professional occupations, compared with
33 percent of non-Latino Whites; among Latino groups, Mexicans
were the least likely to work in managerial or professional
occupations (12 percent). Fifty-seven percent of Latino women
were in the labor force.
- Health
Insurance - All Americans saw a drop in access to employer-sponsored
health insurance between 2001 and 2003, but the decline was
especially severe for Latinos. Less than 65 percent of nonelderly
Latinos had access to health insurance from employers in
2003. Moreover, the proportion of eligible Latinos who took
up an offer of employer coverage dropped from 79.5 percent
in 2001 to 72.3 percent in 2003.
- Home
ownership - Census 2000 showed that the Latino homeownership
rate, the percentage of Latino households owning their own
home, was 46 percent. This is up from 42 percent in 1990.
Among Latino groups, Cubans and Spaniards had the highest
homeownership rates in 2000 (58 percent each).
- Latino-Owned Businesses - Minority-Owned
Firms Grow Four Times Faster Than National Average, Census
Bureau Reports U.S.
Businesses Owned by Hispanics Top 1 Million; California,
Texas, Florida Lead States, Census Bureau Reports there
were 1.2 million Latino-owned businesses in the United States
in 1997. These firms employed almost 1.4 million people and
generated $186.3 billion in revenues. Latino-owned firms
made up 6 percent of the nation's 20.8 million non-farm businesses.
Of the 1.2 million Latino-owned businesses, 472,000 belonged
to owners of Mexican descent. Among Latino groups, those
of Mexican descent owned by far the highest number of Latino-owned
firms. More Latinos owned firms than any other minority group.
- Latina
Business Ownership - With an estimated 1.2 million businesses
owned by women of color in the United States, latinas lead
the parade of a growing number of businesses owned by minority
women, according to a study by the Center for Women's Business
Research. Based on further breakdown of ownership, the Center
estimates that Latinas own almost half a million of the firms.
- 2000 - While turnout by Latino citizens in the 2000 presidential
election of 45 percent was not statistically different from
1996, the number of Latino voters increased about 20 percent
over the period. This reflected growth in the number of Latinos
18 years of age and older and in the number who were citizens.
Click here for " Number
of Hispanics Who Vote Up "Sharply."
- Latino
report –24 pages
The Latino Vote in 2000, 2002 and 2004
By United States Hispanic Leadership Institute Research Department
An in-depth examination of the character of the 2000 Latino vote
and an analysis of Latino electoral impact and influence in the 2002
senatorial and gubernatorial elections and the 2004 presidential
election.
- Pew Hispanic Center and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
2004
National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation
July 2004
Candidates, political organizations and the news media are paying
greater attention to Latino voters in 2004 than in any previous election
year. In order to better understand how the Hispanic population,
both voters and non-voters, see the political choices facing the
nation this year, the Pew Hispanic Center and the Henry J. Kaiser
Family Foundation collaborated on an extensive survey of adult Latinos.
The 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Participation
was conducted by telephone from April 21, 2004 to June 9, 2004 among
a nationally representative sample of 2,288 Latino respondents, including
1,166 registered voters.
Links
to US Census Factfinder
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